A VOICE of NFL front office experience and reason resonated over the phone yesterday, and when the topic of the Jets was broached, he didn’t sound very optimistic.

“As long as I can remember,” Gil Brandt said, “I’ve never seen a tougher situation to be in than the Jets are right now.”

Brandt spent 30 years with the Cowboys, much of the time as VP of player personnel. Many of today’s GMs still consult with him before making big-time decisions.

Brandt was complimentary about the job Herman Edwards and Terry Bradway have done. However, trying to decide which direction they should go, Brandt sounded like someone glad not to be in their shoes.

“If [Chad] Pennington is OK, then your strategy changes,” Brandt said. “It then becomes more of: Do I want a running back because Curtis Martin might have hit a wall and is probably not going to get better?”

The Jets are 2-10 and possibly headed to 2-14. That puts them in the middle of the dubious race for the No. 1 pick. The 49ers and Packers are 2-10 also. The Texans are 1-11.

Highly placed Jets sources say they’d prefer not to draft Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart because it would mean investing too much money in one player when they have many holes to fill.

Those sources, too, are not crazy about Leinart because he doesn’t possess a strong arm and will command about $24 million.

So, the Jets’ best scenario could be this:

They get the second pick behind the Texans, who crave Bush and don’t need a QB.

The Texans take Bush, leaving the Jets staring at Leinart, whom a number of QB-needy teams would kill to get.

The Jets find the best suitor and trade the pick, allowing themselves to still draft, say, Memphis State RB DeAngelo Williams in the first round.

The trade, too, brings the Jets either a high second-round or even low first-round pick with which they can draft a QB of the future, maybe Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler.

That still leaves the Jets with their own second-rounder, with which they might find another immediate starter, perhaps on the offensive line.

Those same Jets sources also have indicated they’re not willing to start a rookie QB next season, because that would almost certainly lead to another down year. So, with Pennington not expected to throw at game speed until at least training camp, the question becomes: Which veteran QB might be available?

San Diego isn’t going to let Drew Brees go. The Chargers might, for the right price, get rid of Philip Rivers, but the Jets are not high on him. Tennessee backup Billy Volek is locked into a long-term deal and is the heir apparent to Steve McNair. Atlanta, according to Falcons’ insiders, has no interest in letting backup Matt Schaub loose.

Though Washington’s Patrick Ramsey, New Orleans’ Aaron Brooks or Tampa Bay’s Chris Simms might be available, the Jets might be looking at their 2006 starting QB Sunday at Giants Stadium in Oakland’s Kerry Collins, who’s not only fallen out of favor with the Raiders, but is owed a huge roster bonus in the spring, which might make him very expendable.

“He took a team [Giants] to the Super Bowl and took a team [Penn State] to a national championship season,” Brandt said of Collins. “For the Jets, it all starts with Pennington. Herman Edwards and Terry Bradway need one of those psychic women to tell them what’s going to happen with Pennington.”

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

The next Jet pilot

Who will be the Jets’ next star of the future? Considering the team’s salary cap woes and the uncertain health status of QB Chad Pennington, Gang Green will be in a tight spot come draft day. Here’s a look at some of the candidates to play a significant role in the Jets’ immediate future:

REGGIE BUSH

RB – USCUnlikely Jets will draft high enough to pick him. Likely would be too expensive anyway.

MATT LEINART

QB – USC

Another high price tag. Jets not high on his lack of arm strength.

DEANGELO WILLIAMS

RB – Memphis

Possible target if Jets trade down in first round.

JAY CUTLER

QB – Vanderbilt

Could be a target in early second round or if Jets trade down to late first round.

RAIDERS

at

JETS

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Line – Jets -3